It seem that this car has been in the market for sometime but not much hoowah about it, in fact a face lift version is already out. I took the opportunity to go down to the showroom to take a closer look at this ride with a friend who was keen to upgrade his ride to an MPV due to an expanding family and a fussy

Overall it just look like any MPV but with a lot less horsepower under the bonnet with the 1.6 CPS engine at 125hp. The Exora if not counting on the contis with their 1.4 cc Turbo charge engine has the smallest build engine in the market and road tax is the lowest for a full size MPV ( I discounted Freed with the 1.5 cc engine as a compact size MPV). The question of power to weight ratio comes to mind. If you are driving around a small city like ours, this MPV offers the best value for money and the Exora certainly can perform on the NSH occasionally but certainly not on regular basis.

The interior is also well laid out, as in all MPV the 3rd row seat seem a little cramp for a full size male adult but for short journey it should be okay. They even think up of a hook on the front passenger dash for you to "gantong the teh tarik" The high end spec with an additional of $1500 comes with nice leather finishing. The Exora comes iwth both Manualand Auto trans.

Didn't go for the test drive, will have to wait for my friend to firm up his decision to get this MPV before I get a chance to test drive it, but overall waiting a whle longer would also be a good idea to let Proton sort out any issues with the Exora. There are rumors that they are coming up with a Turbo version, so maybe that would address any underpower issue that the Exora may have for the long haul trip up North.

I had the chance to ride in one some months back. I sat in the last row and yes, legroom could be better. Basically, the last row would be for kids if you're going on along ride. Overall comfort level is ok but engine is noisy and can feel the strain when it tries to speed up to 130km/h. Pricewise, it's still the least expensive of the MPVs at abt $80k for the auto version. If you're looking for value for money MPV and have nothing against the Proton badge, then this is the ride for you. Power, refinement will have to take a back seat...

pussy_lover wrote:I had the chance to ride in one some months back. I sat in the last row and yes, legroom could be better. Basically, the last row would be for kids if you're going on along ride. Overall comfort level is ok but engine is noisy and can feel the strain when it tries to speed up to 130km/h. Pricewise, it's still the least expensive of the MPVs at abt $80k for the auto version. If you're looking for value for money MPV and have nothing against the Proton badge, then this is the ride for you. Power, refinement will have to take a back seat...

To me the refinement in terms of finishing is very good, first indication is when you close the door, heavy and shut with a thud, just like my Optra with the sound proofing material I like that kind of solid feel, a big let down is the stock radio. This can be control from the steering but that would also mean you won't be able to upgrade your hi-fi to DVD and GPS, etc.. Only upgrade would be for speakers and maybe additional monitor and external GPS.

ss96 wrote:yeah..been reading up on the TURBO version of the nex EXORA..hopefully all regulations will be passed upon reaching our shores.

As with regards to the turbo, the testing was done by Proton using aftermarket bolt on Turbo, I don't quite like this, if this is not done proper meaning upgrade to you trans, brakes and etc, most likely this car won't last you the full 10 years. The bolt on Turbo kit will gain better horsepower by adding additional 100++ hp but I would perfer factory turbo, overall if it's something to ran around in the city, the 1.6cc engine is more than enough, the other consideration is your insurance premium, anything tagged with "TURBO" will cost an arm and a leg, and your balls as well.

Let's see how this developed in the near future, with COE escalating maybe another 2 or 3 years would be a better option for changing cars, just my 2 cents.